The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1887-04-30
TURKEY RAISING.
uow IT Can Re Made u Profitable rs Well
~ r Pleasant Industry.

10 DeSlh WILL '"'N' "S
rightly managed, is profitable. 1t costs
NJ more per pound to grow a pound OF
turkey meat than it does to grow a
mound of chicken meat, but whether
sold alive or dressed, the turkey meat
always brings the higher price. Dur
ing the first few weeks Of their lives.
turkeys require more care than young
chicks; but after they are fully feather
ed, and have grown out the red on
their heads, they become hardy. and
are not so much .bother' as chickens.
The farmers wife who is in u suitable
location for turkey-raising, can earn
fifty or one hundred dollars raising
turkeys, easier than she a earn the
$ me sum by "raising' eggs, or by
growing chickens for the fall and win
ter market, for the simple reason that
the .'heft" Of the work connected with
raising u flock of turkeys, comes with
in the space of five weeks, when the
turkeys are quite young.
In regard to the breed, it is my can
did opinion hat except in point OF size,
there is not much, if any, choice. Even
the common turkeys are good, what
there is of them; but on account OF
their great size, the bronze and the
N~arragansett, and y cross between the
two, are the ~favorites OF those who
raise turkeys for market. The white
turkeys, called the White Holland,
grow to II great size, almost a large
as the Bronze; indeed, some OF
the best specimens of this breed
rival the Bronze in size. But they
are not so much raised for market
us the other varieties. simply because
of a mistaken notion that they are not
so hardy as the colored varieties. So
far us "tamencss' is concerned. don't
believe there is any choice between
breeds that have been cared for alike.
except that turkeys from Bronze stock
that has had a recent infusion of fresh
blood by the use of a wild gobbler, are
rather more inclined to wander tl:an
those that are more remotely connectc;;
with the wild stock. Bat this rambling
propensity can, by proper manage.
ment, be held somewhat in check, and
the flock kept within reasonable bounds
with very little effort.
If you want tame turkeys. take pains
to make them tame, and keep them SO.
~ ,-t allan, thu .hsI.1,,a. rnfr sinr.
and hired men to brighten and worry
your turkeys, If you desire to keel
them tame. l never allowed our tur.
keys to be driven about and worried OF
frightened. From their childhood
mp" l always made pets of my turkeys,
and the result was that they were Sc
tame that they would eat from my
hand, and l could pick .!,cm mp any
where at any time. My little girl made
II special pc: Of M immcns' Bronze
gobblcr. and visitors at Il place were
~astonishcd to see the great bird stant
quietly, while "1opsy" stroked his
back as if he were a cat.
Some of our hen turkeys would hide
their nests, but others would walk into
the poultry houses. and under the shed;
and lay in nests just like hens, and they
didn't seem to care who knew it. Fol
the benefit Of those who desired tt
make believe" hide their nests
we provided accidcntal-looking places
for nests in fence corners, ant
other retired hooks, not far from The
buildings. and the turkeys generally
took to such places kindly. In the few
instances when they did not, a little
patient watching soon enabled US tt
discover the nests.
But mind this: when watching {
u turkey. in order to find her nest
don't let her see that You are watching
her. or pounce upon her when she il
, on her nest. Keep an eye on her from
II distance, but do not follow her clos,
up to her retreat; just take you
bearings and then, an hour or two
later, carefully search in that direction
for the nest, and you will probably
find it. If you remove the eggs as fas
MS laid, the turkey will lay twice n
, many eggs before offering to set as sh'
, would if the eggs were allowed to ac
l cumulate in the nest, but you should al
I ways leave II or two nest eggs o
some kind, and IL you find the egg
$ covered with leaves. leave the mes
$ eggs covered in the same way. Ate
c the turkey has lald u dozen or fiftcel
i, eggs, and the danger Of the eggs chill
| ing is over, they may be left in tn
nest.-COr. Prairie Farmer.